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Oberon
Oberon is a vampire and an alchemist and according to him-the smartest being in the world. And the most awesome. The prettiest too.
Oberon is an alchemist whose slightly overblown ego seems to land him in more trouble than even Lysander can concoct. Which is an achievement in itself. Initially, he is Lysander's not very enthusiastic travel companion, but they grow closer as the time goes on. Ultimately, Oberon becomes Lysander's significant other.
He is very adamant that all he needs for continued survival are plums in chocolate.
Oberon was born in the city, and did not have to experience the trials of living away from light, as his parents did. His family had a small shop in one of the major cities, selling various fabrics.
Oberon was the first in his family who had a privilege of getting education, ultimately becoming one of the best students in the Academy- a most prestigious school specializing in alchemy and then one most known alchemists in the whole country. He managed to accumulate enough influence and wealth to afford a comfortable life for his entire family and himself.
One summer, the country experienced an especially severe drought- leading the desperated officials to ask Oberon for help- with inventing a fertilizer strong enough to keep the moisture in the soil despite the terrible heat. Oberon succeeded, but when they visited to pick it up they were very rude to him- and in retaliation, Oberon gave them wrong measurements for the concoction. That one difference in composition made everyone who tried to eat the crops treated with the fertilizer suffer from stomach afflictions which in turn quite obviously pointed fingers at Oberon- who was accused and then tried in absentia for attempting to dangerously poison the whole country. Which he was not guilty of, obviously. Not completely, at least- it was never more dangerous than a mundane indigestion.
Forced to flee from the city, Oberon packs everything he perceives as basic and most important- hence he winds up with a backpack overloaded with books, beautiful, yet not very functional clothes, and absolutely no food save from those imported chocolates he loves so much. With plums inside. Because in order to stay healthy, it is advised to eat fruit everyday.
His mom, in all her foresight and knowledge of her son’s lack of self-perseverance, packed some jars with actual food.
He ultimately tries to return to the Academy, to plead to be listened to, but little does he know that one of his former friends and study partners from there- Coltrane pushed the most for him to be convicted. However, when he gets to the city and tries to book a room in a luxurious inn, he is easily recognized by the guards and has to attempt doing his best impression of running, by which point Lysander unknowingly saves him by doing what he is best at- causing a mess and diverting the guards attention.
Details
Likes
Plumsreading and studyingsweetselaborate clothes, expensive jewelryDislikes
spring and summer- he hates bugsnovels- reading them is a waste of timecrowds-Notes
Vampirism
Vampirism is an umbrella term for obscure traits, developed by certain species for their continued survival in the most secluded and environmentally challenging parts of the world. Due to that seclusion, not only are vampires very different from each other,but it’s also nearly impossible to trace what species they derive from originally.
They have become highly adapted to difficult environments, learning to thrive where weather and food scarcity would be unbearable for any other species.
Yet, as many of these territories are being forcefully taken from them in search of precious minerals, many vampires migrated to cities despite being completely not used to a regular environment. Hence, the adaptations which allowed them to function in very specific conditions, such as certain diets or living styles might hinder them when faced with a completely new world. Many of these specifics caused the rumours to sprout- painting all vampires as bloodthirsty monsters attacking at night. While it's true for some, it doesn't apply to the entirety of their species.
Oberon’s tribe lived underground in a place completely cut off from any sunlight. Year consisted of either one of two seasons- a period of extremely high temeratures, when small underground volcanoes erupted continuously, or a constant winter- when they stopped.
Due to that, Oberon is able to function in extreme temperatures or withstand long periods without food and water. Due to very little available light, his hair, freckles and fingernails are bioluminestent.
His eyes are very sensitive to sunlight- making him more likely to travel by night, yet his eyesight is very poor. Oberon relies on his hearing more and tries to wear glasses but he always seems to lose them.
He has a lot of moles and freckles after many sunburns, especially on his back. The main problem is- Oberon absolutely loves sunbathing. He loves napping in the patches of sun.
There are vampires who drink blood to survive, however, they do not make up the whole population of vampires.
Traits associated with vampirism can fade over time, as the affected person gets used to living in less challenging conditions.
These traits are partially hereditary, and can become prominent even after being latent for many generations once the environmental conditions become similar to those they were developed for! And those affected by vampirism can develop new ones as well, depending on what is needed for survival.
Blood drinking- those who try to track the history of vampires are sure that using blood in cooking was a common practice- due to food scarcity-the shared custom of most vampires is to eat every part of what they catch. Yet, the trait of having one's diet consisting solely of others' blood is a new development. Historians track it to the first vampire tribes being forced into cities via relocations- where due to their lack of knowledge how to function in this kind of society, language barriers, they were often living in extreme poverty, in strongly overpopulated areas. In hunger, they adapted, as vampires usually do.
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Years and religious ceremonies
Largest religious ceremonies are held at the beginning of the "year". For Oberon's tribe a year is either a warm or a cold period, so due to that one common year is equal to their two years! It leads to misunderstandings regarding Oberon's age-and since different ways of counting time are common in different vampire tribes- that possibly caused the rumours of them being immortal.
-He says he is close to sixty. He is. In his tribe's traditional way of counting age. In normal terms-half of that. In order to get his friend’s-Coltrane's real age, you have to divide what he claims by four.
Bioluminescence
His freckles, moles, hair and fingernails glow in the dark! Easier to read at night!
Still, Oberon is so glowy that Lysander complains that he can't sleep because of how much light he emits. He has to cover his eyes with a blanket to fall asleep, but no amount of light will stop him from cuddling Oberon while sleeping.
Glowing tattoos
-Where he comes from, there was nothing more precious than light. One's wealth was measured by how much light they could accumulate!
One of traditions which survived despite the forceful relocation is a tradition of glowing tattoos - originally motivated by the lack of light in their natural environment- the less light is accessible- the more the ink shines. They are invisible until it's dark enough for the ink to start to glow! The ink doesn't have any color by itself. The most common placement for the fist tattoo is a forehead, usually decorated with symbolic figures of moon or sun- which were so rarely seen by the tribe until it was driven away from their native grounds that they obtained legendary status.
Originally, glowing tattoos were only reserved for the wealthiest families- because the ink was very expensive. However after the forceful relocation the herb from which the dye was being obtained was very easy to find- the plant was a common weed anywhere else.
Oberon used to have a tiny tattoo on his forehead! The ink was supposed to "collect" sunlight by day and glows in the night, but after so many years, it doesn't seem to do so anymore, since the ink tends to dissolve after some time.
Education
There was never anything Oberon loved more than studying. It occupied every minute of his life ever since he was a child - it was his idea of fun. He is very curious and he enjoys reading and researching new topics.
He taught himself to read and write- for fun.
As a child he loved science- he started from turning his room into a soda volcano research site and ended up as an alchemist’s apprentice several years later. Then he learned to do more fun things than just soda volcanos.
His talent was recognized early, and he was allowed to apply for the Academy as a teenager, where a fellow vampire- Coltrane, who he already knew from the time they were both apprentices- became his study partner. Sadly, their relationship escalated over the years into an outright conflict and mutual backstabbing ending with Oberon getting convicted, partially due to fabricated evidence provided by Coltrane.
Due to being one of the best students in the Academy, Oberon o was able to pursue an academic route but also became one of the most renowned alchemists in the whole country.
Taking the teaching position Coltrane was striving so much for was what ultimately caused these two to become hostile- as the job was already promised to Coltrane several years earlier.
Cooking, picky eater
Oberon, like the rest of his tribe, can only perceive the taste of food if it’s very intense- usually impossible to stand for anyone else. Lysander banned him from cooking after that one stew that made him cry. Oberon’s favourite foods are plums in chocolate and plums baked with cinnamon- however the amount of cinnamon he adds usually makes even Lysander look at him with raised eyebrows. Lysander, who otherwise eats literally everything, even food that fell to the ground.
He won’t eat just anything, it has to be prepared exactly to suit his very elevated tastes. Lysander can eat his half-burnt pastries stuffed with who-knows-what in peace.
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Details
Clothes
Oberon loves very elaborate, high quality and expensive looking clothing. He would never wear anything Lysander does. Even if he was paid to do it. Especially Lysander’s excuse for jewelry . And yet, he seems to steal his earrings. He really likes these flower-shaped ones.
He says he looks fashionable. He thinks he looks fashionable. In truth, he looks like a glittery disaster with a bird's nest instead of hair.
That fertilizer which got him in trouble
Oberon’s staple product seems to be based on plum cores and peels. No one asked where he got all these plums from, but Lysander is very curious if it’s just not a result of Oberon's nearly strictly plum diet. Maybe. .
-He doesn’t share anything. what is his, is his. Don’t touch his things. Not even with your pinky finger. So guess what Lysander does?
Very vindictive
Oberon never lets anything go, and remembers even the smallest of slights. Even as a child he was known for his ability to plot revenge for years for even the smallest things, and be very creative at doing so. And yet, as he grows up his small revenge attempts seem to bring more trouble for him as he becomes less and less subtle. During his studies he was nearly expelled for sabotaging his study partner’s work, and later he might have gotten into more trouble as well.
He can never comprehend that his actions could make him a target of someone else’s carefully concocted revenge schemes. As it did with Coltrane.
Not used to any kind of physical activity
A brisk walk is the most he is able to push himself to do. When Lysander tells him to run, Oberon just looks at him. He is absolutely mortified when Lysander informs him that they are not going to be travelling by a carriage. And that they have to walk. On their feet.
First aid
After meeting Lysander, Oberon became very acquainted with the intricacies of first aid, despite having absolutely no interest in the medical field- apparently his travelling companion is a magnificent trouble magnet. Oberon never considered trees or buildings a hazard, but when someone is so adamant on scaling those and falling down on any possible occasion, especially, when a cute animal is spotted, he had to rethink his stances on that topic. Whenever Lysander refuses getting another scratch checked, Oberon just drops sleeping Bubbles into his lap- and Lysander stops moving, so he doesn’t wake up his turtle.
Curly? hair
Oberon’s hair is naturally very curly. Per latest fashion, he straightened it while in the Academy, to match Coltrane’s hairstyle. He also decided to go all out and lighten the color- apparently you can burn your own hair when you take a nap with that hair-lightening concoction on. And then repeat such treatment several times in a row because your hair is not light enough.
His hair used to be very long, now it’s slowly regrowing- it barely reaches his shoulders. The parts subjected to the various treatments are also very brittle and dry.
After seeing what Oberon does on a daily basis to his hair, Lysander took over anything hair related. He doesn’t let Oberon touch it. Even with a comb. He declared himself being completely in charge of any hair-related issues.
Oberon and Coltrane were very creative with their hair- between 15 and 25 they probably managed to do more hair fails than you can find anywhere. None of them ever thought to go to the professional hairdresser. The hair bleach attempt was just one of many of these. They also covered their hair with very strong glue and glitter, cut it into weird shapes, and tried out the most questionable hair "treatments".
notes
more random notes
-He lied that he could play the violin. He can’t. Coltrane realized that when he attempted to play an impromptu duet with Oberon in front of a large audience. Oberon was too proud to admit that he can't and he tried to just…. Pretend he can? And then he just improvised? That it's a very artistic and creative interpretation?
-he sometimes hums when reading
-Oberon’s and Coltrane’s handwriting is nearly identical. They used to do each other's homework in turns, just copying what they already wrote twice. Every second day was Coltrane’s.
-He hates coffee. It’s too bitter. But he still drinks it because it's trendy. He suffers for fashion, every minute of being fashionable is worth undergoing such torture. Also, Lysander’s disgusted face whenever Oberon drinks a cup of this vile liquid makes his day. Coltrane loves coffee and used to drink it out of jugs directly when he was still studying. He was the one who introduced Oberon to this vile liquid-yet the fact that it keeps one awake made it very appealing to both students. Lysander tried coffee once and spit it out immediately.
-Oberon sometimes wakes up with Bubbles on his face. She seems to like biting his nose.
-he has several chains for his glasses- because he keeps losing them so often
-He conducted an entire research to create the most optimal container for keeping plums in chocolate there. He even wrote a scientific paper about it.
-he loves sunbathing- but his entire back is covered with fluorescent moles- after a particularly bad sunburn. He was completely red for weeks.The main problem is that he always falls asleep when sunbathing.
-He and cities have a love-hate relationship. Oberon loves them for being well, more civilized, however,the amount of noise doesn’t go well with his oversensitive hearing.
-He says he hates novels, yet there is a particular adventure series he always buys whenever a new book comes out. It’s an absolutely adorable children's book and goes perfectly with a whole box of plums in chocolate. Lysander caught the title once, accidentally-"The great journeys of Kitty the cat!". The series has close to twenty volumes and is about a bunch of animals travelling together, visiting various places and finding new friends. Also, there are exceptionally long descriptions of various foods- sweets especially. He loves these descriptions-many are of his favourite sweets, but they never fail to make him hungry.
- Blanket and pillow hoarder. Lysander always wakes up cold now. And without a blanket. Sometimes gets kicked off the bed too.
- Can't dance at all. Coltrane was his dance partner in all obligatory school parties and Oberon absolutely stepped on all of his toes.
- His sense of fashion is jewels and brocade with gold and silver. And glitter. He is a walking "look at me" sign. And he is color blind.
- Blind without glasses. They are very big, so he can easily find them on the nightstand. He also owns several decorative chains for these.
- Very awkward when complimenting people. He always disguises his compliments as quips.
- His family is not very wealthy. Everything he has, he earned and achieved himself through hard work.
-His final thesis was a great treaty on the process of making the best chocolate to cover plums in.
- used to be very self-conscious before meeting Coltrane.
Bubbles
[ Lysander's turtle ]
Bubbles is Lysander's turtle, stolen from some noble's backyard. Apparently, with her shell painted gold, she looks like an expensive statue.
Her only goal in life is to sleep and eat tasty food, and she would be very glad if her owner would take advice from her. And she makes sure to get her point across. She eats as much as she can, in the most visible spot possible, and she even started making sounds to be more noticable! Yet, for all her hard work, her owner denies her the best sweets ever existing- "plumsinchocolate"
"Plumsinchocolate" are these weird brown, crunchy pebbles which smell of plums. And Bubbles loves plums. Nearly as much as she loves making bubbles when swimming. These sweets are being kept so close, yet so far-in her owner's companion's backpack.
Bubbles doesn't like it when there are barriers keeping her away from that sweet treasure. And surely, everyone dislikes such obstacles- it has to be so tiring to have to take out the sweets from the backpack every time you want to eat one? There should be no backpacks. So the sweets can be devoured all at once. In her wisdom, Bubbles is currently working on removing those barriers through eating the backpacks. She is working on that thankless task very diligently.
All backpacks and bags Oberon and Lysander own have lots of tiny holes now- courtesy of Bubbles
Lysander
[ Oberon's significant other ]
that idiot he travels with, and surprisingly- also his significant other. He is a thief and has five younger sisters
Oberon and Lysander met while Oberon was trying to flee from the guards after unsuccessfully trying to find a luxurious inn in one of the main cities. He argued that he did have a special membership certificate and therefore he was entitled to only the best treatment. Unfortunately, there were quite a lot of wanted posters and Oberon is a very memorable person in general. As he was running, or in Oberon's case-doing his best impression of running, Lysander accidentally diverted the guards attention after not so sneakily stealing a noble lady's necklace. Lysander helped Oberon hide and somehow these two decided to travel together from now on - as Oberon needed help staying under the radar while looking for proof of his innocence, and Lysander, agreed without looking further into it, deciding that if he is to continue to wander aimlessly it will be nice to do so together!
Oberon calls him "idiot"- at first, he was just expressing his never ending wonder at the Lysander's nonexistent mental capacities, but with time it becomes an affectionate nickname.
Lysander's antics which were unnerving Oberon initially now seem endearing for him. But he draws a line at singing.
Lysander will cuddle anything while sleeping. Yes, Oberon as well. Even as his hair shines directly into Lysander’s eyes.
Oberon and Lysander are basically two stupid children sticking their fingers where they shouldn’t and crying afterwards but are too easily distracted to cry so they start running after something else
Oberon usually wakes up with Lysander's hair in his face. It also has an amazing ability to stick to everything.
Oberon really, really can't take care of himself. Lysander had to make sure that his clothes are appropriate to the weather and get him a very needed, warm coat and some socks. Actually warm, woolen ones, and not just made from decorative lace. And warm boots.
They basically share Oberon's one remaining braincell. Just one, because the rest was exchanged for plums in chocolate
Coltrane
[ Vampire, That Study Partner. Oberon’s childhood sweetheart. ]
Technically, Coltrane and Oberon met as young apprentices of the same alchemist and easily bonded over being vampires and difficulties they faced in their everyday lives because of that. Despite coming from completely different backgrounds and hence- having different traits, both had to face the general stigma associated with vampires. But they became friends years later, in the Academy and motivated each other to become the best students.
They loved learning new things together, especially if they could possibly end up in something spectacular. Making big volcanoes or fireworks? They might have tried out that theory later. It was fun. And it was absolutely not their fault that the entire East Wing went up flames. Absolutely.
If something happened, usually the principal assumed it was Coltrane’s and Oberon’s job. But due to their impeccable scores and already incredible achievements, they were never expelled.
As per tradition, Oberon was judged by a jury chosen strictly from those who hold an official title of an alchemist- making Coltrane one of the judges.
Oberon was hopelessly in love with Coltrane for years
Oberon's obsession with his appearance stems from his initial attempts to match Coltrane.
Oberon was trying to be very romantic towards him- but Oberon's understanding of romance is very different from anyone else's. One of the very romantic gestures he showered Coltrane with was constructive criticism.
Coltrane is a noble via his mother's remarriage. She came from a vampire tribe but her husband disappeared shortly after relocation. As they lived in difficult conditions both Coltrane and his mother developed the ability to sustain themselves by drinking blood. Later, when Coltrane started his apprenticeship, she married a noble.
Coltrane and Oberon were the worst fashion disasters when in school. They didn't acknowledge that, however. They were (and still are) convinced that they are the most fashionable beings existing. Now it's more true than it was during that period
Coltrane and Oberon really, really loved blowing things up when they were younger
Coltrane is much more intelligent than Oberon. Oberon reached everything through hard work and a lot of effort, while studying came very easily to Coltrane. He has to just read something once to understand and remember it.
The reason why the teaching position was offered to Oberon (and taken away from Coltrane) was because Coltrane's step-father got into a quarrel with a council board and withdrew funding.
Coltrane did have romantic feelings towards Oberon at some point, but he has a very one-track mind. He already had a certain order of things planned-and he promised himself that he might look for a romantic partner after getting the teaching position.
Marius
[ The guy with the turtle tattoo on his forehead. Lysander’s ex-fiance. Now married to the local regent ]
That guy Oberon heard Lysander babble nonsense about when he was absurdly drunk. He heard something about engagement- but who in their right mind would get themselves engaged to that idiot? All he could decipher was “I deserved at least a letter” from Lysander’s few hours long tirade.
-He broke up with Lysander via the equivalent of a social media post- a big announcement via a town crier that Marius’s wedding is tomorrow, and that Lysander is definitely not the one he is going to marry then.
- After getting the tattoo on his forehead he started covering it with his hair.
-Has a scar on his back from sledding with Lysander when they were teenagers. From a mountain slope on an old barn door.
- Lysander met Marius when he tried to steal his money when they were teenagers.
- Kind, friendly, cheerful but very opportunistic. Used to achieving everything he wants very easily, with his parents’ money. Won’t do anything that requires effort. Has a lot of titles- half were bought, and the other half bestowed upon him by the regent- his spouse.
- Graduated from one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Even though Marius's grades were well… mostly bought with enough money to support a town for a few years, Lysander envied and admired that a lot.
- Marius is not stupid, but he hates studying. There is a lot of more fun things to do
- Not used to not getting anything he wants immediately.
- He didn’t actually intend to marry Lysander. He wanted to, but he knew that he wouldn't do so- Marius started for a spouse that would financially support his rather expensive lifestyle as soon as he was eligible for marriage.
- His family has a monopoly on tax collecting. As long as there is a steady flow of money for the state, the country doesn’t care how they obtain it.
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